Letters to Laura : Two Months

My sweet girl, you are keeping us all on our toes! You have grown and changed so much in such a short while. What have you been up to lately?

1 - SMILING!!!

Looking mischievous :)

Your big gummy grins just might be my favorite sight in the whole wide world. You are a very happy little girl 99.9% of the time, and you love sharing your smiles with everyone around you. Daddy and Granny receive the best smiles even though I'm the one with you 24/7 - go figure. That's alright though, I don't mind sharing!

2 - TALKING!!!

One of your evening chats with dad (sidenote - those pajamas are too small now, and they were my favorite ones - cue the waterworks).

You are dying to communicate with anyone who will listen. When your dad gets home you spend a lot of time telling him all about your day. There are lots of goos, gahs, nahs, and ohs to be heard in this house. you have also giggled once or twice and we can't wait to hear more of those!

3 - MOVING!

You spend a lot of time holding up your head, kicking your legs, and splashing in the bathtub. You've even rolled over a few times, but I don't think you realize what you are doing at the time. You also love to pull my hair - don't worry, I don't take it personally. I need to figure out how to add videos from the camcorder to show you in action!

4 - ... AND OF COURSE, GROWING

At your most recent appointment you weighed 11 pounds, 7 ounces, and measured 22.5 inches long. You are still in the 90th percentile for height and 75th for weight. Your feet are not petite by any means - you are already wearing 6-18 month socks, haha. I of course think you have the most precious piggies in the world. Sometimes you look like your dad, and sometimes you look like me; it's interesting seeing your features and expressions develop.

Look how much you have changed already!

 

one week

    one month

    two months - so serious

Here are some other pictures to help you remember what you've been up to...

Your first Halloween (you threw up on your Halloween onesie before I got a picture, dern).

Playing with your favorite furry friend

    Being entertained by Grandpa - he loves to play with you!

Just one more - look at those cheeks!

I can't wait to see what the last month of 2012 brings. I can't wait to celebrate your first Christmas, and also to start the new year as a family of three.

You have changed our lives for the better so much already chickadee.
We love you more than all the stars in the sky.

Love, Mommy

Letters to Laura: Weeks 1-2

Dear Sweet Laura,

I cannot believe that you are two weeks old already! Your daddy and I are so happy that you are finally here and doing well. These past two weeks have been challenging but the happiest two weeks of our lives for sure! We knew we were excited to be parents but we didn't realize that such a special part of our lives was missing until you came and filled it. We love you more than we could ever tell you sweetheart.

Strrrrrrettttchhhh!!!! 

(right before we left the hospital)

Nice big yawn!

Napping with Daddy

One week old next to your teddy

My two favorite people

The froggy feet

Sleeping while out and about

Dozing in your cutest PJs

What you have been up to...

At your pediatrician visit yesterday you weighed 8 lbs, 10 oz and were 21 inches long. You are up 6 ounces from your birth weight and have grown half an inch already! You are in the 75th percentile for weight and height and between the 50th and 75th percentile for head circumference. You are still peeling a little bit and your belly button is healing up slowly but surely. You did not like getting undressed in that cold office for your weight check and you cried and cried until you were bundled up again. After that ordeal you slept for 4 hours while mommy got some grocery shopping done and cooked dinner. So far you have been out for Chinese, to the bank, to Walmart, Target, Foodlion, Lowes Foods, Grandpa's house, and even to a wedding! This weekend we are taking you to Carrigan Farms to pick your first pumpkin!

You have such an awesome personality and sweet disposition already! You enjoy looking around even thought you can't see very well. You open your eyes very wide like you are trying to take everything in. Right now you cross your eyes a lot but as your eye muscles grow stronger you will be able to focus on faces and objects. You have a very strong neck and love to look over daddy's shoulder and bob your head around when he holds you. You pull your legs up like a frog and put your feet together just like you did before you were born. You stretch and kick your legs frequently. You can already roll on your side to both the left and right, and you tried to roll all the way over at the doctor's office yesterday when you were on your tummy! Slow down chick! Your little squeals and coos are absolutely precious. Your hair looks lighter than it did when you were born and your eyes are still very blue. You look a lot like your daddy did as a baby, and I really hope you get his eyes. When you fall asleep there are so many things around the house that need to be done but most of the time I end up holding you and just staring at you instead. After all, you are going to grow up very quickly and I want to remember as much of this time as possible.

Your daddy thinks it's silly that I am already crying about how I don't want you to grow up. Right now you are safe from all the things of this world and I wish we could keep it that way forever. I wish that I could keep you from ever being bullied or having your feelings hurt or your heart broken. We are going to do our best to make you realize how very special and valuable you are just for being you. We are going to remind you everyday of how much you are loved and that you are wonderful just the way you are.

 I can't wait to see what interests you develop in the future. I wonder all the time about the person you will grow to be. What foods will you like? What will your favorite color, season, subject in school, etc. be? What issues/causes/hobbies will you be passionate about? Right now I just hope that you feel safe and loved, because you are. My greatest wish for you is for you to have a happy childhood and live a happy life, and we will do everything in our power to make that happen.We love you more and more everyday and are so thankful to have you in our lives. You will grow up fast enough - in the mean time, keep eating, sleeping, and dirtying diapers and just let us hold you close and take care of the rest. You are the most perfect, amazing gift we have ever received. We can't believe you are ours.

Meal Planning: Week 8

Hi folks! I promise I am still alive - once again, sorry for the lack of recent posts. Nausea and insomnia paired up to kick my butt this week. I did finally go purchase groceries Thursday afternoon though, so here are the results...

Stop #1: Food Lion

Pictured:

*7 Eastern Peaches

*3 lbs yellow onions

*2 broccoli crowns

*5 bananas

*1 Hass avacado

*3 plums

*1 bag tortilla chips

*1 package shredded mexican blend cheese (store brand)

*1 package Borden shredded sharp cheddar cheese

*1 package Borden singles

*1 package Knorr mexican rice

*1 8-oz container sour cream

*6 kaiser rolls

*1 dozen eggs

*4 mini bags Orville Redenbacher popcorn

*1 package smoked ham lunch meat

*1 jar Mount Olive kosher dill spears

*1 container organic baby spinach

*1 bottle lime juice

Total Value: $46.71

Total Spent: $30.43

Stop #2: Aldi

Pictured:

*1 gallon 2% milk

*8 sports drinks

*2 cans black beans

*1 box red beans and rice prepared side dish

*1 bag hot pork rinds

*1 box generic cheerios

*2 slim jims

*1 bag of chocolate chips

Total Value / Total Spent: $15.27

Obviously this trip was mostly for junk/treats. It looks a bit different than our Food Lion haul, which was very healthy for the most part! I plan on making chocolate chip cookies with the chocolate. We both love to get slim jims at the gas station (where they are ridiculously overpriced) so I thought I would try to be proactive and buy a few cheaper ones while I could.

Total Value: $61.98

Total Spent: $45.70

Total saved: $16.28 (26.3%)

I didn't save a ton of money this week, but I got all of my purchases for one dollar less than the original value of just the items from Food Lion, so that's a win in my book.

What will we be eating this week?

*Beef Stroganoff

*Grilled chicken with black beans and mexican rice

*Kielbasa with onions, peppers, and potatoes

*Hamburger with red beans and rice

*Barbeque chicken with broccoli

*Spaghetti

*Cereal, oatmeal, fruit, eggs for breakfast

*Salads, garden produce, tomato sandwiches, leftovers for lunch

I know I haven't been posting regularly, but I do have some ideas for upcoming posts, so stay tuned! In the next few weeks I plan to write about...

* The nursery (it's almost finished!)

*Our baby showers (they were fabulous)

*Getting ready to cloth diaper

*Guest post: Rambo, his perspective

*Recipes

*High Five for Friday! (It's a weekly link-up where bloggers post five pictures from their week and discuss them each Friday)

Alright folks, enjoy your weekend!

Meal Planning: Week 7

Before I fill you in on grocery deals for the week...pictures of our meals as promised:

Wednesday - Nick's Enchiladas

Thursday - Chicken Parmesan

Friday - Pulled Pork Barbecue

 (served on a bun with slaw and baked beans on the side)

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Meatloaf with Nick's family

Monday - Red Beans and Rice

Tuesday - Chicken and Dumplings

All in all, it was a week of delicious dinners. I plan to post recipes for the barbecue and the chicken and dumplings within the week.

This Week's Groceries...

Stop #1 - Lowes Foods

Pictured:

* 14 chicken breasts (approximately 10 lbs)

*2 Hillshire Farms smoked beef sausages

*Oscar Mayer deli shaved smoked ham (9 oz)

*1 head of cabbage

*10 Eastern peaches (purchased Tuesday)

Total Value: $50.80

Total Spent: $32.61

Stop #2: Food Lion

Pictured:

*3 jars of Prego sauce

* 1 jar Claussen dill spears

*1 box Cheez-Its

*4 sticks Blue Bonnet butter

*1 bottle mustard

*1 bottle lemon juice

*2 broccoli crowns

*2 Hass avacados

*1 yellow squash

*8 gatorades

*1 roll of aluminum foil (75 ft)

*6 kaiser buns

*1 bag tortilla chips

*1 bag Dole baby greens mix

*1 bag shredded lettuce

*1 half gallon of milk 

*10 slices swiss cheese

*1 box beef stroganoff - store brand

*1 packet Taco Bell taco seasoning

*1 box raisins

*1 box Sweet Tarts

*1 box Butterfinger minis

*Small piece of fresh ginger 

*1 jar dry roasted peanuts

*4.47 lbs 80% lean ground chuck

Total Value: $76.89

Total Spent: $58.73

Let's Tally It Up...

Total Value of This Week's Purchases: $127.69

Total Spent This Week: $91.34

Saved: $36.35 (28.5%)

Total Value of Items for This Week's Meals: $53.05

Obviously we are not going to eat 10 lbs of chicken and 4 lbs of ground beef in a week. Aside from lunch meat for Nick's sandwiches and maybe some porkchops, we shouldn't have to buy anymore meat for a month. In terms of my weekly limit ($50) I went over $3.05. I know, I know. However...in my defense... Aldi was closed due to a storm related power outage, so I had to purchase some items at Food Lion that I planned on purchasing at Aldi (gatorade, milk, taco seasoning, and tortilla chips). Had they been open, I would have met my goal of $50 or less for the week.

What will we be eating this week?

* Grilled Chicken with Side Salad

* Taco Salad (had this tonight)

* Shepherd's Pie with Steamed Cabbage (new recipe)

*Hibachi Chicken with Mixed Vegetables

(tastes just like going out for Japanese)

*Grilled Sausage with Peppers and Onions

*Easy Night: Either Mac and Cheese or Fish Sticks

Finally - Deals of the Week!

Not too many deals out there this week, but these two are especially good!

*80% lean ground beef - $1.99 / lb (Food Lion)

*Boneless, skinless, chicken breast - $1.79 / lb (Lowes Foods)

I'll leave you with tonight's dinner masterpiece...

Taco Salad - DEElish!!!

Recipe: French Toast

Is there a particular food that you love eating but are nervous about preparing yourself? For me that has always been French toast. I like to order it when Nick and I go out for breakfast, but until recently I never thought of making it myself. I don't know why. It's a little different at each restaurant, so in theory it is probably difficult to mess up. Sunday morning I tried my hand at making French Toast for the first time, and I have to say I will be using this recipe again very soon! It was extremely easy to prepare and Nick and I both really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (my addition - I also add this to pancake batter)

1 pinch of salt

12 thick slices of bread (even better it they are a little stale)

Directions:

Place the flour in a mixing bowl and slowly whisk in the milk. Next, whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the seasonings last. Lightly oil / spray a skillet and place over medium heat. Dip each side of the bread until thoroughly coated and cook in skillet until golden brown on each side. That's it - super easy! (I made the entire batch of batter this time even though we only made four pieces of toast because I was nervous about making adjustments the first time around. Next time I will only make about half this much batter.)

The finished product!

I sprinkled a tiny bit of sugar on the French toast while it was still hot and drizzled on some pancake syrup. you could top with powdered sugar or add fresh fruit as well. Enjoy!

Pregnancy Update: 30 Weeks

I can't believe we are three quarters of the way there!

She is sticking her rear out in this picture, hence the slightly irregular shaped bump.

How far along? 30 weeks and 4 days

Due Date: September 23rd

Maternity Clothes: I'm wearing some maternity clothing and some regular clothing. A lot of my loose tops still fit (like the shirt in this picture). I can still fit comfortably in one pair of pre-pregnancy jeans (although they don't button, obviously). I wear a lot of T-shirts and gym shorts.

Stretch marks? Not on my stomach...keep your fingers crossed that I survive unscathed!

Sleep: What is that? Haha, I might get four hours of sleep a night. I like sleeping on my right side, but baby girl hates it and squirms until I move. Don't worry, I make up for it with 20 minute (more like 3 or 4 hour) naps a few times a week.

Miss Anything? Nothing that I'd trade for this whole experience. Although, now that you mention it, I would love a turkey sub and a Mexican dish with queso (lunch meat and unpasteurized cheese are two no-no items). And I can't wait to be able to sleep on my stomach again.

Movement: Um yeah, she's wild already! She likes to stick her butt out, kick her legs, and dog-paddle with her arms. She moves a lot when Nick talks to her and right after I drink anything cold.

Food cravings: Nothing that I didn't like before. A few items are definitely taking center stage currently though: apples, applesauce, apple juice (notice a pattern?), tomatoes and cucumbers, carrots, tortilla chips and salsa, sharp cheddar cheese.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Mainly just the heat. 

Gender: Baby Girl

Symptoms: Not too many. A few headaches and some third trimester nausea a few times a week. I'm not exhausted all the time, but I am definitely moving at a slower pace these days. Getting up off of the couch or floor is difficult, but I'm still pretty flexible (I can still put my hands flat on the floor in front of me, and I can almost get my feet behind my head). 

Exercise: I'm exercising 4 times a week on average. I either get up early and walk a three mile loop before it gets hot, or I complete a pregnancy workout dvd that includes cardio and weights (this dvd is no joke - think tons of squats, lunges, tricep extensions, lat pull downs, high kicks, etc.)

Belly Button: Half in, half out

Rings: Still on, my hands only swell after long walks in the heat.

Happy or Moody: Happy :)

Pregnancy Pet Peeve: I know it's sweet, but elderly people in public act like I am disabled or something. People always tell me to go home and sit down. The other day when I was in line holding peanut butter and eggs, the lady in front of me said, "Put your things down, rest your hand!" I may be "in delicate condition", but I'm not going to break! People do hold doors for pregnant women and let them pass them in the grocery line, so those are two perks. Oh, and any rude or insensitive comments. The baby is getting big, not me!

Best Moment this Week: I assembled her dresser all by myself and it looks great! Also, my iron has been low throughout my pregnancy, and as of this week it is back on track, which I am thankful for.

Looking forward to: Our shower this Saturday! And meeting our little girl, of course! I really want to know what she looks like. Nick had a head full of hair, but I was bald until I was two, so who knows?

What is baby up to? She is practicing breathing by filling her lungs with amniotic fluid. Little girl is almost constantly on the move, and is already head down (she's smart like that). She can blink, suck, grasp, and flex all of her joints. She can hear voices and jumps in response to loud noises (dogs barking). She does not like ice packs (if her feet are under my ribs, this will get her to move them away). She also has the hiccups almost everyday lately, which is pretty comical. Her lungs and bowels are in the final stages of development, and she is starting to gain weight (she's about 2.5 pounds, and will likely gain between 4 and 6 more).

Meal Planning: Week 6

Hello world! I'm back from blog hibernation and ready to share with you! I have been sticking to my budget of $40-$50 per week over the past two weeks, but with tons of cookouts and gatherings I didn't adhere to a strict meal plan. While things looked the same from a budget standpoint, I have to admit our dinners at home have been quickly put together and rather lackluster lately. In efforts to change that, I will be posting pictures of all our dinners at the end of this week to hold myself accountable once again.

I scored some great deals today to start off a new week of meals, beginning at Food Lion at 7:01 this morning. After I show you the loot I will explain why getting there so early paid off (gotta build the suspense...).

Stop #1: Food Lion

Pictured:

*1 loaf of French bread

*1 loaf of white bread

* 1 package of 8" tortillas

* 8 oz shredded Mexican blend cheese

*10 mini bags of Orville Redenbacher movie butter popcorn

* 1 package of frozen dumplings

* 10 packages of reduced sugar maple and brown sugar oatmeal

* 4 bananas

*1 lb of baby carrots

* 3 lbs of green apples

* 5 lbs of white potatoes

* 1 can of pasta sauce

* 1 jar of enchilada sauce

* 1 container of sour cream

*1 jar of apple sauce

* 64 oz of apple juice

* 9.69 lbs of boston pork butt

Pictured:

* 1 roll of paper towels

* 1 bottle of dish detergent (citrus scent)

* 1 lb of thin spaghetti

* 1 box of saltine crackers

* 1 box of chocolate tasteeos (like cheerios but store brand)

* 1 bottle of ketchup

* 1 bottle of honey barbecue sauce

* 1 reusable shopping bag

Total Value: $76.14

Total Spent: $35.89  (using a gift card - so no money out of pocket!)

Now...what was the point of two separate pictures? Everything in the second picture was ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! Wednesday - Saturday the first 50 shoppers at each local Food Lion get a free reusable shopping bag filled with store brand products. Food Lion opens at 7:00 am and you know I was there to take full advantage of this awesome deal (and I plan on going back for the next three days). 

Because I am a complete and total dork, I proceeded to walk the aisles and price all of the free items so I could let you know that if you participate in this offer, you will be receiving $10.99 of products for free (not including the price of the bag)!!!

Food Lion has undergone some marketing changes recently, including rearranging their stores and adding over 600 items to their MVP sales schedule. That means 600 items that were previously never part of MVP deals will now be in the regular sales rotation. Of the seventeen items in the first picture, eleven were on MVP special this week. I was already fond of Food Lion because of the chance to purchase local produce and support a business based in North Carolina, but these new deals have my heart singing. I hate buying groceries at Walmart and Target even though they have great prices, because their deals come at the expense of poorly treated employees and a majority of products made overseas. Being able to drive 1.3 miles to my local Food Lion (that happens to be an exact calculation - don't judge), buy produce and meat grown nearby (hence supporting local farms), and save money at the same time sounds like a fabulous plan to me.

Stop #2: Lowes Foods

Pictured:

* 1.03 lbs of fresh green beans

* 2.30 lbs of southern yellow peaches

* 8 oz blocks of cheese (pepperjack, sharp cheddar, and colby jack)

* 1 jar of Claussen pickles

Total Value: $18.40

Total Spent: $10.60

The cheeses were BOGO, and the produce prices were spectacular as well ( I'll list them at the end under "Deals of the Week"). The pickles were full price, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Stop #3: Aldi

Pictured:

*1 bag of barbecue potato chips

*1 bag of pork rinds

* 1 bag of tortilla chips

*1 jar of crunchy peanut butter

*1 dozen eggs

*1 bottle of French dressing

Total Value / Total Spent: $8.36

Eggs and peanut butter are pretty much essential every week in this household. Tortilla chips and salsa are a definite craving as of recent, and the barbecue chips and pork rinds fulfill Nick's snack needs for the week. I try to get him 2 or 3 snacks each week, and they usually are not on sale because he is spoiled like that :). Pregnant snacks = carrots and ranch dressing. Man snacks = yummy junk.

 In the words of Veda Sultenfuss, "It's not fair, nothing ever happens to boys."

Now let's tally everything up...

Total Value: $102.90

Total Spent: $54.85

Saved: $48.05

The pork butt was my one big ticket item this week. I am going to cook half of it tomorrow and freeze the rest for next week. The total expense for what we will be consuming this week was $48.12. Also, I bought all of the groceries at Food Lion using a gift card (Nick paid for my phone when I had an upgrade and let me keep the rebate card - he's a sweetie!), so when all was said and done I only paid $18.96 for everything pictured above! Not too shabby. 

What will we be eating this week?

My husband has mad cooking skills - yum!

Dinners shall include...

* Nick's Enchiladas ( pictured above, so delicious)

*Chicken and Dumplings (will last at least two days)

*Pulled pork barbecue sandwiches (new recipe - will probably last two days)

* Mac and Cheese with Ground Beef (one night of light cooking)

*Chicken Parmesan (new recipe)

I will also be attempting some new breakfast recipes this week, including French Toast and Baked Oatmeal.

Last but not least....Deals of the Week!!!

Here is the scoop on what I consider to be the best priced items from the pictures above, in case you want to get on board with saving some money!

Food Lion

* Pork butt - $1.39 / lb (usually $2.89)

* 3 lb bags of granny smith apples - $2.50 (if you buy them individually they are around $1.79 / lb)

* 5 lb bags of white potatoes - $2.50

* 64 oz apple juice - $1.00

* white bread - 50 cents

* Orville Redenbacher popcorn - BOGO

* Obviously the free bag of groceries is a GREAT deal

Lowes Foods

* Peaches - 77 cents / lb (usually $1.79 / lb)

* Green Beans - 99 cents / lb (usually $1.99 / lb)

* 8 oz blocks of cheese BOGO

There are plenty of other great deals at these stores - these are just the items I personally bought this week.

I plan on posting a pregnancy update tomorrow, and I will also be reporting back soon about our upcoming baby shower Saturday (I'm so excited!!!). Enjoy your week and come back soon!

Disclaimer: If you think I am a crazy person, you are not alone. In fact, I agree with you completely. I would just like to point out that I saved over 80% on my groceries this week - ain't no shame in my game :)